Rugby player paralysed for life after 'tombstoning' stunt goes wrong

Rugby player paralysed for life after 'tombstoning' stunt goes wrong

By CHRIS BROOKE - More by this author » Last updated at 15:52pm on 21st August 2007 Comments (1)

Tragic: Darren Fletcher has been left paralysed after stunt went wrong

A 25-year-old rugby player has been paralysed for life after he injured himself while impersonating Baywatch star David Hasselhoff during a drink-fuelled beach game. Superfit Darren Fletcher broke his neck when he sprinted down to the water's edge and dived dramatically into the sea, not realising how shallow it was.

His friends had been "tombstoning" off a harbour wall just feet away. While they pretended to be "drowning" in the sea, his intention was to "rescue them" like a lifeguard from the popular US TV series.

Instead the friends pulled Mr Fletcher back on to the beach and raised the alarm. He was airlifted from the beach in Hughtown on the Isles of Scilly and transferred to hospital on the mainland.

After examining him and carrying out scans, doctors told Mr Fletcher he would never walk again.

The tragedy was made worse by the fact that Mr Fletcher and his group were in high spirits because they had been drinking at the funeral wake for a friend who had died in a car accident.

Yesterday Mr Fletcher's family were at his bedside in Plymouth's Derriford Hospital.

The electrician and talented amateur rugby player comes from Sheffield and he is expected to be transferred to the city's Northern General Hospital, which has a spinal injuries unit, later this week.

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Dangerous act: A man tombstoning

PC Tony Kan of the Scilly Isles police said: "The injury was caused by him running down the beach and diving into very shallow water.

"His friends were jumping into the water off the quay close by to him and he was involved in this activity earlier on.

"This has been a terrible tragedy for this young man and his family and friends.

"Medical practitioners have concluded he will not walk again.

"The police and our partners in coastal safety can only repeat our advice that this kind of activity often leads to tragic consequences."

A police spokesman said Mr Fletcher had "a fair amount to drink" during the wake at the Mermaid Inn.

The group of friends had been watching people jumping around 15ft from the harbour wall into the sea and later "had a go" themselves.

"From the pub you can see local people jumping off the quay into the sea and this man was obviously tempted," said the spokesman.

"We think he may have even had a go himself at some point, but later that night he ran straight into the water."

The accident happened after dark at 10 pm on Friday.

An eyewitness said: "He and his friends were jumping about in the water.

"Darren ran down to the beach and did a dive off the sand. He was pretending to be David Hasselhoff in Baywatch. He thought the water was a bit deeper than it was and damaged his neck."

Although doctors have confirmed Mr Fletcher has been paralysed, further details of the extent of his disability have not been released.

The tombstoning craze involves thrillseekers jumping off off cliffs, rocks, harbour walls or other structures into water.

Police have now re-issued warnings about the dangers of reckless behaviour in the sea.

Earlier this month 16-year-old Sam Boyd died when he leapt into Minehead Harbour in Somerset.

In July two men died after leaping from the pier at Clacton-on-Sea in Essex.

While in June, father-of-six Delwyn Jones, 46, from Merthyr Tydfil, died when he jumped 30ft at low tide in Torbay, Devon.